The Documentary Mentorship
Make your documentary, with me guiding you
Six months of one-to-one mentoring on your story, filming and edit, with a plan built around your film and a realistic goal for month six.
For first-time documentary makers, and filmmakers with a project that’s stuck.
Two places open now
Apply to work with meHow it works
I only work with a limited number of filmmakers at a time.
A short application, then a free 30-minute call.
Sound familiar?
You’ve got a film you can’t stop thinking about.
Maybe it’s a person’s story. Maybe it’s a place, a cause, or something in your own family that needs telling before it’s lost.
You’ve watched the videos. You might have done a course. You might even have hours of footage sitting on a hard drive.
But the film isn’t finished. And the longer it sits, the harder it is to pick back up.
That’s not because you’re not good enough. Making a film on your own is lonely, and nobody tells you what to do next.
For six months, you won’t be on your own.
You’ll have me looking at your footage, your cuts and your story, and telling you clearly what’s working and what to do next. Not generic advice. Feedback on your film.
From idea to premiere: Tamara’s story
Tamara had four hours of interviews and no film.
She’s a nurse who had never made a film. At the start of 2025 she told herself this was the year she’d finish it or let it go.
We worked on it together over 34 weekly sessions, under the weekly mentoring I used to offer. That December she premiered a 14-minute documentary she wrote, produced and directed herself, to 82 guests in a theatre she’d rented.
The Documentary Mentorship works differently: a monthly call, with feedback on your footage and cuts between calls, so it fits around your life. The help is the same kind: working through your story, your footage and your edit with you.
I truly believe this wouldn’t have happened without you. I know that with a hundred percent certainty.
Tamara WeberNurse and first-time documentary filmmakerHow we’ll work
Your Film Progress Plan
The aim is simple: steady progress on your film. We agree a realistic goal for the six months, break it into steps, and check it together every month.
Step 1
Agree the destination
On our first call we look at where your film is now and agree a realistic goal for month six. A finished film, a rough cut, or all your filming done.
Step 2
Set the milestones
We break that goal into stages, each with a target date and one clear next step, so you always know what to work on this week.
Step 3
Review every month
Each call starts with your plan: what’s moved, what’s stuck, and what we change. We stay focused on getting your film forward.
Step 4
Review what you’ve achieved
In month six we look at where you started, what you’ve achieved against your goal, and what comes next for your film.
What six months might look like
Every film is different. If you’re starting from scratch, it might look like this. Already filming, or sitting on footage? We start where you are, and the plan begins from there.
Month 1
Story and plan
We agree your goal, shape your story and get your treatment written.
Month 2
Getting ready
Characters and access, shot list, schedule, budget and kit.
Months 3 and 4
Filming
You film, I review your footage and we solve problems as they come up.
Month 5
The edit
Story structure, rough cut reviews and the hard choices about what to cut.
Month 6
Review your progress
We look at what you’ve achieved against your goal, what’s still to do, and agree the next steps for your film.
Many films take longer than six months. If yours does, you can carry on month by month afterwards. We’ll talk about it together in month five.
Is this for you?
Built for people with a story they believe in
This is for you if
- You have a story you really believe in
- You can give your film a few hours a week for the next six months
- You want honest feedback, not just encouragement
- You’d rather finish one film properly than start five
It’s probably not for you if
- You’re after a one-off session rather than ongoing support
- You can’t give your film regular time right now
- You’re looking for someone to make the film for you
Rather work through it on your own? Documentary Fundamentals gives you my whole process, step by step.
How it works
Your film, your plan, your own private space
When you join, you get your own private space on Documentary Film Academy. Everything for your film lives there.
1
Honest feedback, not cheerleading
I’ll tell you what’s working and what isn’t, kindly but clearly, so your film gets better rather than you just feeling better.
2
A call every month
One hour with me each month. Every call is recorded, with a written summary of what we agreed, so nothing gets lost.
3
Feedback between calls
Each month you can send me up to two pieces of footage or cuts, up to 20 minutes each. I’ll record a voice note back within five working days, with a written transcript. Once during the edit, I’ll watch your full rough cut instead.
4
Messages
Stuck on something small? Message me in your private space and I’ll reply within two working days. Quick questions don’t use up a review.
5
The right lesson at the right time
No wading through a whole course. You get the lessons that matter for where your film is right now.
6
Everything in one place
Your plan, your call recordings, my feedback and your lessons, all together and ready when you need them.
Your mentor
I got stuck on my own film for two years.
I was filming a freediving documentary when the shoot had to stop. It was self-funded and I couldn’t afford to go back. So the hard drive went in a drawer.
What got it out again was pen and paper. I wrote down the key moments, moved them around, and suddenly I could see the film. It became One Breath and screened in more than 100 cities.
So when you tell me you’re stuck, I know that feeling. My job is to help you work out what’s holding your film back and what to do next.
Sebastian Solberg. Nearly 20 years in film and TV. Second unit director on the BAFTA-nominated The Eagle Huntress. I teach filmmaking at Imperial College London.
My work has been seen on Sky, Prime Video and Red Bull TV.
What’s included
Everything you need to keep your film moving
- Your Film Progress Plan, agreed together and reviewed every month
- Six one-to-one calls with me, one a month, recorded and summarised
- Up to two voice note reviews a month on your footage or cuts
- Your own private space, with a lesson path built around your film
- Messages with me between calls
- My templates and the Documentary Fundamentals planning software
- Lifetime access to Documentary Fundamentals, including the Starter Kit
What it doesn’t include
- Editing or filming your film for you. I guide, you make it.
- Unlimited reviews. Each voice note covers up to 20 minutes of footage or cut. Once during the edit, I’ll watch your full rough cut (up to 60 minutes) instead of that month’s two reviews.
- Applications or pitches made for you. I’ll help you plan funding, festivals and distribution, and the applications are yours.
Two places open now
The Documentary Mentorship
$725
a month, for six months
6 payments, $4,350 in total
Or pay in full: $3,950, and save $400.
Already taken Documentary Fundamentals? The $297 you paid comes off: $3,653 if you pay in full, or $297 off your first monthly payment.
Apply to work with meI only work with a limited number of filmmakers at a time, because I watch every cut and answer every question myself.
What filmmakers say
A mentor, not just a teacher
Sebastian is a great mentor.
He is always listening. He’s always responding. He’s always giving more than you expect.
Peter GunnebroDocumentary Fundamentals student, SwedenIn the realm of film coaching, Seb is the best.
…not just a coach but a dedicated mentor who will transform the overwhelming into the achievable.
Amanda MessbargerBeginner filmmakerHow to apply
Three simple steps
1
Fill in a short application. It takes about ten minutes, and I reply to every one within five working days.
2
If it looks like a good fit, we’ll have a free 30-minute call to talk about your film and make sure we’d work well together.
3
If we’re both happy, I’ll send you a link to join and we’ll book your first session.
Questions people ask
Do I need filmmaking experience?
No. Tamara had never made a film before we started working together. You need a story you believe in and the time to work on it.
What equipment do I need?
Whatever you have. We’ll work out what’s enough for your film, and what’s worth spending on.
How quickly will you get back to me?
Voice note reviews within five working days, messages within two. I set aside time every week just for mentorship clients.
What happens after six months?
You keep your call recordings, transcripts and lifetime access to Documentary Fundamentals. If your film needs longer, we’ll talk about it in month five. You can carry on with Ongoing Film Support: one 45-minute call and one review a month, with messages answered within three working days, for $450 a month. You can stop at any time.
What if I need to stop?
You have 14 days from joining to cancel and get a refund, minus the value of any support you’ve already had. After that, you’re committing to the full six months. If something serious changes in your life, talk to me. I’d always rather find a fair way through, such as pausing, than hold anyone to something that no longer works. It’s all in the client agreement.
Do you offer single coaching sessions?
Not any more. I’ve put all my one-to-one time into the mentorship, so I can give each person proper attention. If you’d rather work on your own, Documentary Fundamentals gives you my whole process step by step.
What’s the difference between this and the course?
Documentary Fundamentals teaches you the whole process at your own pace. But a course can’t watch your rough cut or tell you why your story isn’t working. The mentorship is me working with you on your film, and the course is included.
Let’s work out what’s possible for your film.
Tell me about your project. We’ll talk about where you are, what you want to achieve, and whether the Mentorship is right for you.
Apply to work with me